Plant-setter.



J; G. B ERHORST.

PLANT BETTER. .APPLIOATION rum) JUNE 19, 1911.

Patenfied 1m 5, 1911.

Witnesses Attorneys Cal-UM IA P N RAP" CO WASHINGTON C UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. BERHORST, OF FORT MADISON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 FREDD.

- CASE, OF FORT MADISON, IOWA.

PLAN T-SETTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Application filed June 19, 1911. Serial No. 634,117.

' plants can be inserted properly into the ground; to provide a deviceof this character which when inserted into the ground will not clog upwith dirt; and to provide such a device which has improved means forsurrounding the plant with soft earth as the device is being removedfrom the ground. To this end there are employed the novel combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter described and as illustrated intheaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similarparts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of myinvention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section; Fig. 3 is a section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line l4 of Fig. 2;Fig. 5 is a vertical section in detail on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; andFig. 6 is a fragmental view in perspec-' tive of the tonnection betweenthe bladeoperating links and the upper rod. 7

Referring specifically to the drawings, there are 'shownat 77 a pair ofvertical and parallel bars which are brought to gether at their upperendsand to which is secured the horizontal handle 8 by means of the boltor pin 9 passing therethrough. This handle 8 lies in a vertical plane,that is, at right angles to the common vertical plane of the centerlines of the two bars. Between the lower ends of the bars 77 is secureda vertical cylindrical shell 'or guide 10 by means of rivets or in anyother'suitable manner. The extreme lower ends of the bars 7.7 are offsetoutwardly as indicated at 7* bars 77. Intermediate the handle 8 andcylindrical shell 10 this brace'has the inner I step or shoulder 11.

To the lower ends of the bars 7'7 and within the offset portions 7thereof are pivoted the two shovel-blades 12 and 13. These blades 12 and13 are approximately semicylindrical in cross section at their upperends and merge to a point at their lower ends. Together they form anapproximate inverted conical shell. The edges of the adjacent bladesbutt against each other at their lower ends but extend diagonally upwardto overlap each other toward their upper ends and at each side thereof abolt 14; pivotally connects the saidblades Within the offsets 7, thuspivoting the two blades within each other at their upper ends and alsoto the lower end of the bars 77. To 7 the backs and at the upper edgesof the respective blades 12 and 13 are secured the bearing-brackets 15and 16. A vertical rod 17 passes through and is guided by the step orshoulder 11 of the brace 11 to bring the upper end thereof within thesaid brace and the lower end thereof outside of the said brace. Theupperend of the rod 17 extends to a point directly below the handle 8 and isbent at right angles as indicated at 17 to become parallel to the handle8. On the said end 17 of the rod 17 is a handle 18. To the lower end ofthe rod 17 are connected the link 22 and the twin links 21 by meansof apin 20 which passes through eyes in the 3 adjacent ends of the saidlinks and rod. The other end of the said link 22'is pivoted to thebearing-bracket- 16 of the blade 13,

which is on the same side of the cylindrical downward pressure ortension to rod 17 and 7 links 21 and 22 to retain the blades in closedposition, as shown in the drawings. On the outer faces of the lower endsof the bars 77 are secured the knife-blades 2 1 which depend downwardlyover the edges of the shovel-blades 12 and 13, being secured to the saidbars by means of the bolt 1a and rivet 25 or in any other suitablemanner. Toward their lower ends these knife-blades are bent in anapproximate helical direction with respect to the vertical axis of thecylindrical shell 10 and the joint blades 12 and 13. The respective edgeof each of the knife-blades 24 is bent outwardly or away from the axisof the joint blades 12 and 13.

It will be noted that the lower end of the cylindrical shell or guide 10projects into the upper ends of the blades 12 and 13 as allowed by theoffset portions 7 of the bars 7, which is apparent by reference to Fig.5. The shovel-blades also being pivoted within the offset portionsprevents any interference with the cylindrical guide.

In use, the handles 8 and 18 are gripped by one hand of the operator andthe nose or point of the blades 12 and 13 is forced into the ground toa. suitable depth as is customary. The plant is then inserted into thecylindrical shell 10 and is guided thereby into the space between theshovel-blades 12 and 13, although the plant may be inserted thereinprior to the blades being forced into the ground. Then by drawing thehandle 18 upward, the links 21 and 22 are pulled upward against thetension of the spring 19 and the lower ends of the shovel-blades 12 and13 are spread or opened, thus pushing the earth apart and permitting theplant to drop out. Then as the blades are retracted from the ground bygiving the handle 8 a slight turn in the proper direction, theknife-blades 24 throw soft dirt in against and around the plant throughthe opening formed by the parted blades 12 and 13, due to the shape ofthe said knife-blades. These knife-blades as they turn out into theearth and deflect the same inward, thus surrounding the plant with softearth which holds the plant in position and gives it cultivated soil togrow in.

Owing to the shearing effect of the overlapping edges of the blades 12and 13, the dirt is prevented from clogging the same up, and the openingbetween them is closed when they are swung together, as will beunderstood. IVhen the blades 12 and 13 have been retracted from theground by releasing the handle 18, the spring 19 forces the blades 12and 13 together again for a new operation.

This device is both efficient and convenient in its use and is simple inits operation.

The construction of the invention can be altered within the scope of theappended claims and it is not desired to limit same to the specific formas shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a plant setter, the combination of a pair of vertical bars, thelower extremities of which are off set outwardly, a cylindrical guidesecured between the lower ends of the said bars, a pair of shovel bladesarranged between the off set ends of the said bars, each shovel bladebeing semi-circular in cross section at its upper end and merging to apoint at its lower end and the edges thereof extending diagonally upwardto overlap each other toward the upper end, the said upper ends of theshovel blades being pivoted together and to the off set ends of the saidbars, and means for swinging the lower ends of the said blades open.

2. In a plant setter, the combination of a pair of vertical bars,shovel-blades pivoted to the lower ends thereof, means for opening saidshovel-blades, and a knife-blade disposed at the adjacent edges of thesaid shovel-blades arranged to extend over the opening formed betweenthe shovel-blades when they are swung apart, one edge of the said knifeblade being bent outwardly.

3. In a plant setter, the combination of a pair of vertical bars,shovel-blades pivoted to the lower ends thereof, means for opening saidshovel-blades, and knife blades secured to the lower ends of the saidbars and depending downwardly and arranged to extend over the openingformed between the shovel-blades when they are swung apart, one of theedges of the said knife blades being bent outwardly.

4. In a plantsetter, the combination of a pair of vertical bars, ahandle secured to the upper ends thereof, a cylindrical guide securedbetween the lower ends of the said bars, a pair of shovel-blades pivotedto the lower ends of the said bars, a brace secured to the said handleand to the said cylindrical guide and having a shoulder intermedi atesaid handle and cylindrical guide, a spring-pressed rod passing throughthe said shoulder, a handle on the upper end thereof, and linksconnecting the lower end thereof with the backs of the saidshovel-blades, the links which connect the said rod and the back of theshovel-blade on the opposite side thereof being curved around theopposite sides of the cylindrical guide.

5. In a plant setter, the combination of a pair of vertical bars, ahandle secured to the upper ends thereof, a cylindrical guide securedbetween the lower ends of the said bars, a pair of shovel-blades pivotedto the lower ends of the said bars, a brace secured to the said handleand to the said cylindrical guide and having a shoulder intermediate thesaid handle and cylindrical guide, a rod passing through the saidshoulder, a handle on the upper end thereof, a coiled spring on thelower end of the said rod, and links connecting the lower end of thesaid rod with the backs of the said shovel-blades, the links whichconnect the said rod and the back of the shovel-blade on the oppositeside thereof being curved around the opposite sides of the saidcylindrical guide, the aforesaid spring having a compression between thesaid shoulder and the lower end of the said rod.

6. In a plant setter, the combination of a pair of Vertical bars, thelower extremities of which are ofiset outwardly, a cylindrical guidesecured between the lower ends of said bars, shovel-blades pivotedwithin the ofiset ends of the said bars, and means for opening the saidshovel-blades.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. BERHORST.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. HELLING, JOHN B. SGHOMAKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

